Want to know how I choose between booking a private rental and a hotel when trip-planning?
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Assuming private rentals like Airbnb are legal, it all comes down to price.
I regularly look for stays that will give me more comfort and amenities while also saving me a few dollars. (I imagine I’m not the only one who fits into that category.) While I love to splurge now and then on a great stay, I’m usually focused on staying within my budget.
And when it comes to budgeting for lodging, some cities sway heavily in one direction in terms of pricing.
Where I live in Barcelona, for example, you’re not going to find a great deal on Airbnb or hotels because the city relies so heavily on tourism dollars—but that’s not the case in places like Istanbul, San Francisco, and beyond.
In some cities, in fact, you’ll be wasting your money on a private Airbnb, VRBO, or other rental. Instead, you should be booking hotel rooms. You’ll save thousands, in some cases.
Want to know the top ten cities where you should avoid private rentals like Airbnb in order to save big? Let’s dive in.
But first… the data
In a surprise twist, the data for this article comes from Highland Cabinetry. I’m not sure what’s behind the company’s foray into travel topics, but I’ve fact-checked the study’s sources.
The company released a data report on where to book a hotel over Airbnb based on data research from TripAdvisor, Airbnb, and Euromonitor.
The report compares ten metrics in cities around the world. These include the number of total international visitors, growth in arrivals, average hotel prices for a week and a month, the number of hotels, hotels per capita, average Airbnb price for a week and a month, and the hotel-Airbnb differential for weekly stays.
Cities where hotels are cheaper than private rentals
Drumroll, please! Below are the world’s top destinations where you should book a hotel room over an Airbnb in order to save money.
Along with the city name, I’ve listed out the amount (USD) that you would save per week by booking a hotel versus an Airbnb in terms of averages.
